


Good Times, Bad Timing

by midorikaze (quailsareneat)



Category: Samurai Love Ballad: PARTY, 天下統一恋の乱 Love Ballad | Samurai Love Ballad (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Light Bondage, Otome - Freeform, Porn With Plot, Voltage Inc. - All Media Types - Freeform, otome games, voltage inc. - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 05:58:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7255273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quailsareneat/pseuds/midorikaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four times you and Saizo almost get caught, and one time you don't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Times, Bad Timing

**Author's Note:**

> okay okay i know these r normally 5 things but i could only think of 4 scenarios  
> this was written for my friend who loves her spicy ninja bf saizo

_The first time it happens, you’re on the roof, with Saizo’s hand clapped over your mouth._

“I thought I’d find you up here,” you say, carefully climbing off of the top rung of the ladder and onto the roof. You dust off your hakama and wobble over to Saizo. Fear of heights combined with the uneven shingles turn your legs into water; the only thing that could force you up here is the fact that you’re far more afraid to disobey a direct order from Lord Shingen -- it’s not that he’s scary, per se, it’s more that you don’t want to blow your cover, and what kind of man would be too scared to go on the roof? -- and since today is apparently not your lucky day, you were dispatched to find the ninja a short while before.

Grimacing, you inch your way forward, vividly aware of the wind on your face and the vast distance between you and the ground. But despite your caution, your sandal catches on a shingle’s edge. You plunge forward; windmilling your arms in frantic circles won’t help, you know, but if you’re going to die, you want to at least look like you tried --

A hand catches you. You’ve stopped, nose only a few inches away from slamming into the roof, the momentum of which would’ve surely sent you over the edge.

Ooph!

The hand lets go, and, unprepared, you still fall down, hard, though not as hard as it could’ve been. Winded from the shock and the fact that your chest just slammed into the roof, you just accept your fate for the moment to get your breath back. Once you do, you level a glare at Saizo, rubbing the sore spot through your clothes.

“We could be a little more grateful,” he says, sighing. He puts his hand back behind his head and lays down. He doesn’t even look at you to make sure you’re okay, just goes back to watching the clouds pass by.

“Grateful for what?” you mumble. Really, it wouldn’t have been hard for him to have set you all the way down. “I’m sure it took barely any effort for you to catch me.”

“Mmn,” Saizo hums. A mischievous smirk plays on his lips. “And zero effort would have sent you to the ground. Is that what you would’ve preferred?”

You know that he knows he’s got you there, so you settle for closing your mouth into the thinnest line you can imagine, looking away from him even as you sit down beside him. At that, the smirk only gets bigger. It’s always been so easy for him to read you.

Well… not too easy, you hope, slightly desperately.

The two of you sit in silence for a while. Even though you know that you should send Saizo back right away -- Shingen’s face looms in your mind -- you so rarely get to spend time alone with him. So you keep quiet about his being needed at the castle because, despite his attitude, despite your near-death experience and the fear twisting your stomach into knots, you don’t want to waste this opportunity. Besides, it’s so peaceful on the roof; you even start to forget to keep frowning.

“Feeling a little better, are we?”

Immediately after relaxing your face, Saizo speaks. You’re positive he hadn’t even looked at you, yet he somehow still knew. His near-omniscience is both impressive and creepy.

“...No,” you say, with a pout. “That really hurt my chest, you know!”

Somehow you always find yourself being rougher to Saizo, chastising him more frequently than anyone else, in an attempt to make him feel even a fraction of how he treats you. But as always, it barely fazes him. With a sigh, he sits up.

“Come on. Let me take a look,” Saizo says, motioning for you to lower your top.

“W-what?!”

“If we’re going to put up such a fuss, it makes sense to see if there’s anything to even make a fuss over, no?” His voice remains calm, in contrast to how shrilly you just spoke.

You tighten your kimono protectively over your chest. But, despite that, Saizo’s nimble fingers still manage to slip in under the collar, resting coolly against your skin. Where he’s sure to feel just how hard your heart is pounding.

“Come on,” he says again. This time, though, his voice is softer. He looks at you, and you meet his gaze shyly.

Very slowly, you lower your hands and open your kimono; not enough to expose yourself, only the bandages around your chest. He pulls them down to reveal the large, red mark from where the shingles had caught you in the chest. Already a bruise is forming in the centre. Saizo’s fingers trail over it, and then he presses firmly.

“Ouch!” A hiss of pain comes from behind your teeth.

“What kind of pain was that?” Saizo asks, his hand still touching you. “Sharp, or dull?”

You blink at the question. “Um… dull, I think.”

“Not a fracture, then,” he says flippantly. “The diagnosis seems to be that someone is a bit of a crybaby.” The smirk returns, but his fingers stay, the contact growing warmer every second.

“Just because nothing is broken doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt,” you say. You don’t want to put yourself down, but you know you haven’t nearly the physique he or the others have; small injuries hit you harder, since you’re not used to them nor built to take them.

“Fine, fine. I get it.” Saizo sighs again. “I’ll make it up to you, hm?”

“Wh--”

Before you can even finish the word, Saizo pushes aside your kimono further, revealing more of your skin as his fingers ghost along over you shoulder. He leans down and kisses the bruised spot. You move back in surprise, but he holds you there. It’s good that he does, because when he darts his tongue out to lick your skin, you’re at risk of tumbling right off the roof again.

He wraps his other arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. Kiss after kiss lands on your chest, slightly painful when he presses them harder, then as gentle as the wind as if in apology. Soon, the redness of the injury is hidden by how brightly you’re blushing.

When Saizo finally pulls away and asks, “Are we feeling better now?” in a slightly husky voice, you forget how to speak for a moment. He tilts his head to the side. “Or do I have to put in more effort?”

You stammer. He grins.

Moving his hand from your shoulder, he places it directly on your breast, squeezing it. A loud noise of surprise escapes you.

A hand immediately slaps over your mouth, but it’s too late: both of you can already hear footsteps getting nearer.

“Yahiko?” Absolute terror floods your body and renders you even more incapable of moving. Lord Shingen…?! “I thought I heard something...” The footsteps reach the bottom of the ladder.

Instantly, your kimono is back in order, though the bandages underneath are still loose. Saizo stands after straightening you up. Motioning for you to stay put, he goes to the edge of the roof. You pat your hakama nervously. Not now… You really can’t afford to be found out now…

You watch as Saizo lowers himself over the roof face first. It isn’t until you hear him say, “Boo,” and Lord Shingen shout in surprise that you realise what must have happened. Stifling your laughter as quickly as you can, you shake, both hands clapped over your mouth. Saizo flips himself gracefully onto the ground. All you can do now is listen to their conversation.

“Saizo! I sent Yahiko to find you ages ago,” Shingen says.

“Really? Haven’t seen him,” Saizo replies blithely. “Maybe I should go look for him.”

“No… That would be counter-productive,” Shingen says. “He’ll show up. It’s you I needed, anyway. Come with me.”

“Just a moment,” Saizo says. Ignoring Shingen’s (admittedly weak) protests, Saizo jumps back to the roof, landing beside you. Without a hint of mockery, he whispers, “Be sure to bind less tightly for a few days. We don’t want to injure that more, now would we?”

He winks at you, and with that, he’s gone, leaving you with only the clouds -- and some very confusing thoughts -- for company.

**********

_The second time, you almost fall out of a tree._

Saizo reaches a hand out toward you, ready to take you onto the next branch. He isn’t even hanging onto anything himself, just balancing, all while leading you through the trees. Meanwhile, you’ve got a death grip on the last branch he pulled you onto with no intentions of letting go.

You have never been up this high before. You hope to never repeat it -- _if I’m lucky enough to survive this to never repeat it_ , you think to yourself. You squeeze your eyes shut to try to forget where you are.

“Was someone lying earlier when they said they wanted to help with the mission?” Saizo says. There’s a tinge of frustration in his voice. When you don’t say anything, your only reply being to cling tighter to your branch, he sighs. “Well, we can’t have this. I’ll just have to go on without you.”

Your heart drops at the idea of being left alone in this tree, with no way to get down or even move until he comes back whenever he pleases. To show that you’re trying, you take a few tiny steps closer to him, eyes still closed, jaw clenched to keep your lips from trembling. The distance to the ground seems to grow with every millimetre. It isn’t long before your fear forces you to stop again.

An arm catches you around the waist. Your eyes fly open, and the next thing you know, your safe little branch is gone, replaced by two terrifying seconds of flying through the air. Before you can scream, however, Saizo holds you tightly against him, and kisses you. The scream in your throat comes out more as a muffled “mmph!”

You push at Saizo’s chest to get him off of you.

“Do you really want me to let you go?” he says, loosening the secure hold he has on you. Your knees threaten to buckle and you fling yourself back at him. He laughs in your ear. “That’s what I thought.”

“Y-you’re always doing this t-to me,” you stutter. “I h-hate heights! Why would y-you let me come along?!”

Even though you hate how weak it makes you sound, you can’t keep your voice from wavering. You must sound like you’re on the verge of tears, because Saizo squeezes you lightly, giving you a hug.

“Well, little lady, you asked, didn’t you?”

Your protests die in your throat. Technically, he’s not wrong, but still --

Suddenly, he leaps onto the next branch. You yelp, and yet again, he kisses you before too much noise escapes.

“Why do you keep d-doing that?” you ask.

“It’s called ‘moving forward’. We do have a destination to reach, after all.”

“Not that!” Could he be any more frustrating? “The.. kissing.”

“Ohhh. Well, we need to be quiet so we don’t get caught,” is Saizo’s completely passionless response. Ah. Yes, you suppose that screaming isn’t exactly what one would consider the proper volume for a stealth mission. Blushing with embarrassment, you want to apologise, but at this point you can’t trust that your voice will stay at a normal volume.

Coughing lightly to try to ease the tightness of your throat, you say, “Can you at least.. warn me.. before you go further?” He nods without even needing to think about it, and then immediately tells you to get ready. You close your eyes, feeling the air whoosh around you as Saizo moves through the trees with incredible ease and speed, trying to ignore the way your stomach leaps at each jump. The only thing that helps is his periodic whispers of, “I’m jumping again”, and, “Up we go”, along with other reassurances. Only the smallest of noises come out of your mouth now; quiet gasps and mutters of how much you hate this, but nothing so loud as the first few times.

It seems to be good enough for Saizo, who’s keeping his lips off of you for now. You can’t help but wonder why he would kiss you to get you to shut up; then again, his hands were full holding you, so it was probably just the only option he had left, right? Trying to focus on that topic instead of the situation at hand isn’t much better, since you’re starting to get embarrassed again, but it is at least more suited to the mind of a young lady rather than gruesomely picturing her own death.

When Saizo reaches for the next branch, however, something quite unfortunate happens. Your sandal, loosened from all the moving around, slips off your foot. It streaks down, bouncing wildly off the branches along the way. Even Saizo stops to watch it fall.

“Oh, no…” you whisper in terror, but Saizo just sighs again, as if it’s only a minor inconvenience instead of a dead giveaway to where the two of you are.

Thinking quickly, he sits you down on a pair of branches that form a sturdy ‘V’, then leans close.

“Stay here,” Saizo says. You immediately start protesting, but he cuts you off with a finger on your lips. “Stay. I’ll come back for you. You’ll be safer this way.” He then replaces his finger with his mouth, pressing a firm kiss against your lips, until you’re almost breathless. “And remember,” he whispers, still so close you can feel his breath, “be quiet.”

**********

_The third time, Saizo finally discovers how to keep you quiet._

You go to his room to deliver a message, and he invites you inside. You don’t even get the chance to ask what he wants; as soon as you sit down, Saizo tells you to take your kimono off.

“What?!” you splutter, sure you must have heard him wrong.

But no.

“Just what I said. Take it off,” he says smoothly. “We should check on that nasty bruise you got on the roof some days ago, hm?”

He can’t be serious. Sure, it does still hurt, even though you thought it would’ve healed already, but it’s not like he’s a doctor! What would he even be able to tell just by looking? Your face warms when you think that, remembering when he had “diagnosed” you. Glancing at him is a mistake; it’s clear that he plans to wait there until you do what he says.

Resigned, you loosen your collar and shift the top of your kimono off of your shoulders again. It catches around your elbows. With your -- albeit binded -- chest uncovered, you feel shy, refusing to look at him.

Saizo sits behind you. Not being able to see him makes you feel uneasy; you have no idea what he’s planning. Then, the bandage loosens, before a deft hand starts unwrapping it.

“Saizo!” His name comes out a little louder than you intended. You try to cover yourself back up with what’s left of the bandaging, but Saizo just swats your hands away and continues. Finally, the last of the length is gone, rolled up neatly in Saizo’s hand.

“Do you have another suggestion for how else I’m supposed to see the injury with that still on?” Saizo says. The smirk is evident in his voice, enough so that you don’t need to turn around at all to see it. He moves back in front of you and takes his time looking. Being examined so closely makes you want to run, but his eyes lock you in place -- not to mention you wouldn’t dare leave with your chest unwrapped, even under your kimono.

“You don’t play fair,” you mutter, not meeting his eyes.

“Don’t I know it,” he agrees. He runs a finger over the bruises. It makes you hiss in a breath, but not out of pain; it’s because his touch, surprisingly gentle, is like an electric shock running through your body. You know that he noticed. You’re painfully aware, actually, of the fact that there’s seemingly nothing he doesn’t notice.

He moves close to you, just like he did on the roof, and you know what he’s going to do.

“In my unprofessional opinion, I think you need another dose of medicine,” he says, and immediately kisses your chest. He wraps his arms around your waist, drawing you into him. All you can do is watch, looking down at the top of his hair, the tips tickling your skin and making you shiver as he presses kiss after kiss onto you. Hands roam into your hair and untie the ponytail you usually wear. His lips move up over your collarbone and onto your neck. When he bites, you jerk your arms out of reflex to push him, which is when you realise you can’t move them from behind your back.

Because they’re tied at the wrists.

With your bandage.

“Sai--!” you start to complain, but as soon as you open your mouth, he kisses you and draws your lips open, his tongue darting into your mouth. He swallows the rest of your words, and you can feel him smirking between kisses.

“What have I told you about the need to stay silent?” Saizo says after finally leaning back. Trailing his hand down your cheek, he continues. “Do we need another lesson?”

There’s an almost dangerous note in his voice that makes your breath hitch. You stare back at him, chest rising and falling rapidly with your breathing, the red of your cheeks standing out brilliantly.

Saizo stands.

“Lucky for you, I thought of a solution,” he says with a smirk, putting a hand on the tie of his hakama.

He really couldn’t have made his meaning clearer. You’re tempted to play naive and see what he’d do, but you’re sure he’d see through you right away. Besides, it’s a little unusual for Saizo to be so direct about something like this; normally, he just lets you get flustered and then pretends like you’re the only one having crude thoughts elicited by his “innocent” comments, always teasing rather than actually taking action, so for him to come right out like this…

Slowly, you nod. His grin widens, but right as he moves to untie his hakama, the door flies open. Saizo is just as fast, thankfully -- he’s at the door in a flash, forcing it back closed so that there’s only a crack to speak through.

“And what are we barging in for?” Saizo asks whoever’s at the door. It’s not obvious, but you can see the slight tension of his shoulders.

Your face pales when you hear the visitor speak.

“Let me in already, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” says Yukimura.

Frantically, you try to loosen your hands from the binding, but Saizo’s done his job too well. You settle for shifting your legs out from under you and drawing them up to hide your chest. It’s all you can do for now, apart from fervently hoping Yukimura fucks off as soon as possible.

“Oh, dear, you’re being pushy today,” Saizo says. “Unfortunately, I’m a little busy right now.” He’s got his sly fox smile on, you’re sure of that. But, unswayed, Yukimura still tries to force his way into the room, pushing with both hands against the door. He manages to open it a little more. One of his eyes peeks into the room.

And sees you.

Face hidden in your knees, the pounding of your heart rushes into your ears. It’s still not enough to drown out Yukimura’s next words.

“O-oh.. I, y-you’re, uh, busy.. okay, I’ll just.. Wai -- ‘busy’?! Do you mean.. No, wait, neverm -- I’m just going to. Go. If you see Yahiko around, just.. tell him I’ve got a message to send to you, um, I… guess,” Yukimura stammers. The door closes quickly. Thank God, you think, thank God for that ridiculously thick skull of his. With your hair down, you must’ve looked unrecognisable in the quick glance he got; obviously, since he mentioned ‘Yahiko’, you probably just looked like some random girl. The tension rushes out of your body all at once as you hear him hurry from the room, and leaves you feeling like you just ran a mile.

In the silence he leaves behind, all you can hear is the arrhythmic beating of your heart as it settles. Is Saizo still standing by the door…?

You lift your head up to look for him.

“Sai -- ahh!” You can’t help but to shout, since, when you unhide your face, he’s inches away.

“Tsk, tsk,” he clicks his tongue. “Seems like someone _still_ hasn’t learned.”

The smile in his voice promises to make this a long afternoon.

**********

_The fourth time, it’s not you who’s caught off-guard, but Saizo._

You beckon for him discreetly from the door of the main hall during a feast. He rises, waves his hand to tell Yukimura and Sasuke to sit back down, and makes his way over to you casually. As soon as you’re both out of sight from the doorway, you take him by the hand and lead him through the halls.

“And where are we going?” Saizo asks after a few minutes. The only answer you give him, however, is a secretive smile. Since he keeps following you, you know he doesn’t really mind the detour.

Soon enough you reach the kitchen. Pushing him down onto a cushion, you tell him to close his eyes. He does without hesitation; it’s not a sign that he trusts you, of course -- you just know that he’d be able to sense an attack before you could even do anything. Still, you both know you wouldn’t try attacking him anyway, so it does warm your heart a little.

“So, little lady, going to tell me why we’re here?” he says, turning his face to where he can hear you preparing something.

“I wanted you to try a new dessert,” you say. You smile to yourself as you walk back over to him.

“Is it dango? You know I’m really only interested in…” Saizo says, but trails off when he feels you sit on his lap. Even though you can tell you’ve done the impossible and managed to surprise him, he keeps his eyes shut, betraying nothing else. You lean closer to him.

“I think you’ll like this,” you murmur, before placing a candy in your mouth and kissing him, his mouth opening immediately to accept it. It melts on your tongue from the heat as you transfer it into his mouth. Before you can pull back, however, Saizo wraps his arms around you and keeps you in place, deepening the kiss. You shift to get more comfortable and end up straddling him, your chests pressed together. With a contented sigh, you slide your arms around his neck; your hands dangle over his shoulders, relaxed, crossed at the wrists.

Saizo slides his hands down and firmly holds your hips, moving you against him. At the contact, you gasp, and he breaks the kiss.

Licking your lips, he mutters, “It’s sweet.” The candy has long since dissolved, but the sweetness lingers in both of your mouths, light and slightly sticky, a soft, pink haze that envelops the both of you. When he kisses you again, it’s at odds with the taste. More aggressive. Wanting. You respond in kind, licking the last of the candy from his mouth, with soft little sighs escaping out of you whenever you pause to take a breath.

The next time he stops, the lust is unmistakeable in Saizo’s eyes. He scoops you up easily, your legs still looped around his waist, both of his arms supporting you from underneath. Bracing you against the wall, he grinds into you; vaguely you think how much easier hakama make moving, but there isn’t much room in your mind for thoughts. You tighten your grasp around his neck, winding your fingers in his hair.

He bites down your neck. Whenever you gasp softly, mouth right near his ear, he punctuates it with a slight thrust of his hips.

“Mmn?” you hum in confusion when he lowers your legs back to the floor. He follows them, kneeling in front of you, trailing his hands down from your bum to the back of your thighs. Saizo tugs you toward him with a wicked grin.

“Do you have anything else I could taste-test?” he asks. Clever fingers find your hakama ties instantly, and he undoes them torturously slowly, keeping eye contact with you the entire time as you stare down at him. But just as you’re winding locks of his hair around your fingers, he jumps away from you.

You wish you couldn’t believe Sasuke’s timing, but more and more lately it feels like the universe is plotting to keep you and Saizo apart; with uncanny consistency, you’ve been interrupted every single time the two of you have started doing anything remotely clandestine; so, rather than embarrassment, the only emotion you can really feel at the moment is resignation.

“Yahiko, is there any more of that stew? I’m still hungry,” Sasuke says, popping his head around the doorway.

“Yes, there is,” you say. When you turn toward the counter, you furtively tie your hakama back on, and bite back a sigh. “Can you carry the pot yourself? It’s only half full now so it shouldn’t be as heavy.”

“Of course I can!” Sasuke says. He comes to your side to grab the pot.

“Growing boys need to eat, after all,” comes Saizo’s voice from where he’s leaning against the wall. “Mm… Now that I think of it, I’m a little hungry still, too.”

Sasuke misses the wink Saizo sends you, but you don’t. Face blushing slightly, you try to chivvy the boy out of the kitchen, before anything else happens.

“Just ask Yahiko, then,” Sasuke says matter-of-factly. “You’re already here.”

“I think I will,” Saizo says. He’s been keeping those copper eyes of his on you the whole time, surely enjoying watching you squirm.

“What were you doing, anyway?” Sasuke will not stop talking, even with your hand on his back to push him out of the room.

“Oh, he just asked me to taste something for him, that’s all,” Saizo says nonchalantly. You’ve turned away from both of them on the pretense of cleaning up the work station -- pointless, since you already cleaned it before dinner started -- because you’re absolutely sure that if Sasuke sees your face now, it’ll be obvious what he inadvertently walked in on.

“Can I have some, too?” Sasuke asks.

“Nope. It’s all for me,” Saizo says, and you turn a shade redder.

“That’s no fair!” Sasuke protests. He pouts. Saizo just ruffles his hair.

“Hmm… What I think is less fair is keeping that stew all to yourself when Yukimura is probably dying of starvation without his fifth serving,” Saizo says, pointing at the pot still in Sasuke’s hands. “You’d better get going.”

At that, Sasuke finally leaves the kitchen, but neither of you move until the sound of his footsteps has faded completely. Immediately, you crouch down in embarrassment, balancing on the balls of your feet, blushing furiously. Saizo laughs.

“How could you say things like that to a kid?!” you say.

“I was just making conversation.” There’s absolutely no shame in his voice. “Why, did you read something else into it?”

You glare at him, but your anger is already ebbing, knowing you won’t win this one. With a sigh, you stand and brush off your hakama. And it had been getting so good earlier…

Saizo is behind you before you realise he’s moved. He wraps his arms around your waist and rests his chin on your shoulder to murmur in your ear.

“I am hungry, though,” he says, “since someone just had to go and take me from the feast before I could eat anything.” His hands trail lower as he speaks, playing with the ties again. Leaning back into his warm chest relaxes you.

“Well,” you say with a shy smile, adopting his speech pattern, “we’ll have to find something to do about that, won’t we?”

**********

_The fifth time, nobody stops you._

Desperate to escape more embarrassing situations and interruptions, the two of you don’t meet in secret for a few weeks. That’s not to say you don’t see each other: when you pass in the halls, you’ll feel a ghost of a touch on your waist; Saizo shows up in your room some nights, as silently as ever, but only staying long enough to exchange a kiss or two; when he comes to the kitchen, you touch his hands and whisper what you’re aching to do -- but only when you’re alone. It’s never enough time for either of you, but the almost-certainty of getting caught yet again keeps your clinches frustratingly short.

In other words, you’re completely fucking exhausted.

You never realised before just how much energy it takes to be constantly looking over your shoulder. Slogging through your duties becomes the norm; the build-up of anxiety weighs heavily on your chest each night, keeping you from sleeping well. It terrifies you to think of how many times you were almost discovered as a woman. Every day when you wake, you wonder if it’ll be the day you’re found out.

Before, you had Saizo to comfort you -- no matter how much he teased, he would always cuddle you and spare a few kind, genuine words of reassurance. But now you can’t even risk that.

Of course, it doesn’t escape his notice how strained your smile has become lately.

One day, Saizo appears in your room just as you’re waking up, and tells you to get dressed. When you question him, blearily rubbing your eyes, he refuses to answer; instead, he flops down on your bedding and gives you his valuable opinion on fashion while you get ready.

“Mmn, I prefer the blue kimono,” he says, watching you.

“But you just said you liked this one better!” you say in exasperation.

“I lied so you would change in front of me again,” Saizo says. He smiles at you slyly, and, scowling, you turn away to hide your blush.

When he had told you not to wear hakama today and offered you a few kimono to try on instead, you decided to go along with it, knowing you wouldn’t get an answer by asking. But Saizo is always too much! You have no idea what he’s planning, but you’re pretty sure it’s nothing good. With a sigh, you slip out of the kimono you had just finished trying on, reaching for the blue one again.

Saizo grabs your outstretched hand by the wrist and kisses each of your fingertips. Delicately, he licks one with the tip of his tongue, then takes it into his mouth. You jerk your hand away; as always, he’s completely unabashed, touching you easily whenever the whim strikes.

Dressed again, you straighten your obi. Saizo comes behind you and helps with the back. He then hugs you, wrapping his arms around your middle. When he releases you, you look down and gasp.

“What.. is this..?” you say, fingering the obi pin that had definitely not been there a few seconds ago.

“The pearls look like dango, hm?” is all he says. Though Saizo barely acknowledges it, the unexpected romantic gesture warms your heart. You smile at him, suddenly shy, but it’s quickly obscured by your hair falling over your face. Saizo weaves your hair tie between his fingers. “There. You ready, little lady?”

You pause, unsure.

“I know no one here has seen me as a woman, so.. I guess I’m disguised, but what do I do if I am recognised?” you say. It’s been on your mind all morning. You’re glad, really, of the opportunity to present yourself femininely in front of Saizo -- while hakama are easier to move in, they’re not exactly pretty -- but this is the riskiest move yet.

“I’ll just say you’re someone from Iga,” Saizo says flippantly. “Don’t worry.” As he speaks, he slides open the door and takes your hand, twining your fingers. You start to protest, but he just looks back at you with a finger to his smiling lips.

He leads you through the castle and out into the garden, where you can finally speak freely. Still, though, you keep your voice hushed just in case.

“What if someone sees?” you whisper.

“Were we not listening properly?” Saizo teases. “I said it’s fine. Someone may or may not have suggested that Shingen go hunting, that someone may have mentioned it to a certain Yukimura, who, in classic form, invited himself along, but not before someone may have also suggested taking a young boy with them as well. That’s all.”

He smiles mischievously at you, and his meaning sinks in.

A whole day to yourselves. Without the three biggest unintentional cockblocks you’ve ever met.

Immediately you squeeze his hand, relishing in actually being able to do so. You allow yourself to feel how much you’ve missed him being around the last while.

“Is that why you told me to dress like a woman? After all, those three are the ones who would be the first to notice,” you ask.

“Oh, finally catching on, are we?” Saizo asks, but his tone is sweet, almost as sweet as the kiss he gives you right there in the garden. No one else is there to see, since it’s so early the dew is still sleeping on the grass; however, it still gives you a thrill to not have to take any measures to hide anything, not your relationship, not even your gender.

For the rest of the morning and into early afternoon, the two of you stroll around the town. People smile at you as you go by, but the smiles are distant and polite; shopkeepers you visit daily have no idea who you are. The freedom is exhilarating. With a carefree smile, you look at Saizo to thank him, but when you turn your head, he isn’t looking at you. You follow his gaze to the tea house.

“Shall we go in?” he asks, and you nod.

It’s nearing lunch, judging from how crowded and busy it is inside. You sit beside each other, rather closer than normal, and make idle chatter. Your tea arrives, and you bow your head in thanks to the waitress. Just then, however, another passing by trips, having misjudged the spot where she was trying to step in between you and another guest. Her serving platter goes flying as she falls forward.

In a flash, Saizo’s managed to both steady her and catch her tray, the tea spilled but the cups intact. He passes it to her and then sits down again. She looks stunned, surely trying to figure out what happened. A tiny barb of jealousy pricks your heart.

You try to reason with yourself -- it’s good that Saizo helped, good that she didn’t fall and get hurt, or pour boiling hot tea on someone. But it reminds you so much of how he’s always helping you, like that time on the roof, that you can’t help but feel a little put out. You want his hands to only touch you…

Which they do, seconds later. Saizo drags you onto his lap before you know it, and you make an involuntary noise of surprise, drawing every eye in the shop onto you.

But instead of withering with embarrassment, or frantically distancing yourself from Saizo, as had become your habit lately, you start to laugh. All those people watching you and you don’t have to hide…! Laughter bubbles out of you, taking with it all the worry that’s been weighing on your shoulders, leaving behind a floating feeling of relief.

A woman, her high status emanating from her every graceful gesture and word, glares at you, her icy gaze taking in your simple kimono and loose hair. Perhaps she expects you to shrink back and feel ashamed of your outburst; what she certainly doesn’t expect is for you to send her a serene smile.

Saizo’s quiet laughter in your ear sets you off again. It starts an endless cycle where, just as you’re both quieting down, one of you starts laughing again. You realise just how much stress Saizo’s been feeling as well; the sudden release of so much laughter is mostly just a nervous reaction. When you’ve finally calmed down some time later, you think of something.

“Why did you sit me on your lap in the first place?” you ask. You’re not complaining, of course. It’s just that his timing is almost as impeccable as Yukimura’s, although you don’t think there’s any way Saizo would have known what you were thinking about right before he grabbed you.

“We had to make room for that waitress to get through somehow, didn’t we?” he replies. While that makes sense in a way, it doesn’t really account for why you’re still on his lap, despite the fact that some of the crowd has since left, leaving far more space than before. You hesitate, wondering if you should get off. Saizo sighs and wraps his arm around your waist, giving you a squeeze. “Going to make me say it, huh?”

You laugh again. “Yup!”

Dramatically, Saizo rolls his eyes, as if he can’t imagine anything worse than being honest.

“It’s possible that I kind of like you,” he says. “No conclusive evidence, though.”

Then, he slides his hand from your waist to your thigh, in such a way that none of the patrons can tell. He draws tiny, absent-minded circles with his thumb.

“I guess we’ll just have to make some, then,” you say coyly, covering his hand with yours.

You leave the tea house soon after and visit a few stores, picking up ingredients here and there, reassuring him that, yes, you will make dango again, but you won’t if he keeps asking. One thing you notice is that he seems unable to keep his hands off of you now. In every store, he brushes his hand against your hips; when he stands behind you while you pay, his fingers trail down your spine; he puts his arm around your shoulder to shift you out of the way for a passerby and then leaves it there for longer than he needs to.

It’s driving you a little crazy to be out in public at the moment, since you haven’t been touched by him in so long. After Saizo daringly grabs your bum when you lean over to look at something, you decide you’ve had enough, and drag him into the nearest empty side street.

You don’t even get a chance to ask him what on earth he thinks he’s doing, because the second you open your mouth he’s kissing you passionately, backing you up against the back wall of one of the shops. He presses his entire body onto yours; the contact is almost too much, and you feel your knees start to buckle.

Then, just as suddenly, Saizo steps away from you completely, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. You stare at him, bemused. He holds his hand out to you and gestures for you to walk with him again.

It happens three more times on the way home.

Three more times, you find yourself darting into, or being tugged into, any deserted area away from prying eyes. By the third time, Saizo’s hand has slipped down your collar. You’re grasping him achingly close, desperate for there to be nothing between you. When he breaks the kiss, you both just catch your breath for a moment, looking at each other with heavy-lidded eyes, lips still so close that his breath ghosts over yours.

And then he steps back. Again.

The expression on your face must be dangerous, because he at least has the decency to look at the ground for a second before making eye contact again. It doesn’t last long, though; he grins after a moment, and then draws you close to whisper in your ear.

“We should hurry back home, hm?”

It takes all of your self-control to not say, screw home, there’s a perfectly good alleyway _right there_ , and instead you nod, falling in step beside him.

When he takes your hand, he runs his fingers over your wrist with the barest touch, taking his time lacing his fingers with yours. Every heartbeat lasts a lifetime. Leave it to him to manage to tease you even with just hand holding.

The door to Saizo’s room has hardly shut before you’re on each other, gripping each other tightly. His mouth is crushed against yours; he bites you to get you to open your lips -- as if you even needed prompting -- and breaks away just enough to lick his lips, already red from kissing. One of his hands tangles in your hair. Possessively, strongly, he tilts your head to get at your neck, where he leaves a dark, tingly-painful mark, signed with a kiss.

“Mmn,” you hum, a small, happy sound. When you do, he lets go of you and distances himself.

You protest, but --

“Get undressed,” Saizo says. There’s no question in his voice. Complying, though slightly embarrassed, you remove his pin from the obi, placing it carefully in your bag; untie the obi cord and the obi itself; shrug off your kimono and the light robe underneath, letting them fall fluidly into a pile at your feet. You’re acutely aware of his eyes watching your every move.

“Very nice,” he praises you. He continues to survey you from his place leaning casually against the wall, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“...Aren’t you going to take yours off too?” you ask.

“Nope,” Saizo replies immediately.

Your mouth actually drops. He really has no shame…! As if predicting your next move, he shakes his head.

“Uh-uh. No putting it back on, little lady,” Saizo says. He beckons you with his chin. “Come here.”

Haltingly, you walk over to him. He very obviously looks you up and down, then reaches out a hand and runs his fingers delicately over your hip. Trailing on your skin, his touch moves downward, tracing a lazy path, but stops just before he reaches between your legs. The ever-present teasing look in his eyes is tinged with something else.

“What do we say?” Saizo asks, his voice sweet.

“Fuck you.” It isn’t nearly as volatile as you had wanted, since embarrassment lends a wavering, quiet quality to your voice. You really don’t want to meet his gaze.

“Tsk, tsk. That’s what comes _later_ ,” says Saizo. He places his free hand on your neck and uses it to his advantage, pulling you into a kiss at the same time he slips a finger inside of you. This unexpected move makes you jump a little in surprise, but Saizo keeps his hold on you, moving his tongue and his hand -- pressed fully against you, so your clit is being rubbed as well -- at the same pace, until you’re trembling from the feeling and from lack of proper oxygen. Just before the effort of staying upright gets to be too much, he stops completely.

“Now, what do we say?” he asks again, murmuring into your ear.

Your cheeks flush. You really, really don’t want to have to say it, but you know that he really won’t continue until you do. Maybe on a better day, when your self-control isn’t so completely blasted, you would’ve been able to refuse and get one up on him; but for god’s sake, you’ve wanted this for weeks now, and you’re willing to say it, even at the cost of your dignity.

“...Please,” you whisper. He’s still holding you, so you’re speaking to his arm.

“Hm? What was that?” Saizo says in mock confusion, holding a hand up to his ear for emphasis.

“Pl...ease.” It’s louder this time, but your voice cracks, and out of the corner of your eye you see his grin grow impossibly wider.

When he still makes no move, you huff impatiently. Glaring at him, you cross your arms, trying to will away the blush on your cheeks.

“Please!” you say as loudly as you dare, making sure to enunciate clearly. You know he can’t pretend to not have heard you this time, but that’s little comfort when you see his expression. He hooks a finger under your chin and tilts your face up.

“And what do we want?” He speaks against your lips, lowering his own voice to barely above a whisper.

“...Touch me…” you say. Saizo immediately places his hands on your hips.

“And..?”

“Kiss me,” is your next demand.

With his lips on yours, he can’t speak, but when he hums a soft questioning noise in his throat you know what he’s asking. You pull away to speak.

“And…” you start. But the words are hard to say, embarrassment causing your throat to tighten around them. Your eyes flicker to his. They’re the gentlest you’ve ever seen them.

In response, he moves your hands to his hakama tie. Finally, finally, your skin meets, warming on contact, feeling like the first time this ever happened. He hugs you into him. Kissing you steadily, Saizo steps blindly out of his loosened clothes, leaving them on the floor near yours. His body, so familiar, so comforting at some times and vexing at others, moves under your hands as you clutch at his back. Like coming home after a long day.

He scoops you up into his arms, guiding your legs around his waist once you’re firmly against the wall. Sliding your arms around his neck, you play with his hair without really thinking about it, being focused on much more important things. Such as his mouth sucking hard on your collarbone.

With your mouth not occupied, you can’t keep quiet. It’s like his demanding earlier broke the dam, and now, every sound you ever kept hidden spills out, tiny moans and sighs mixed with whispers of “please” and his name. Satisfied with the marks he’s left, Saizo licks up your neck and captures your lips with his again.

As the kiss deepens, he grinds on you; he’s been rutting against you, moving his dick against your labia, but not pushing inside yet. It’s driving you crazy how much he’s holding himself back when you’re barely keeping it together.

You tug on his hair to get his attention. After a final nip of your bottom lip, he meets your gaze. It stretches out, your eyes locked on each other, breath slowly evening out from your intense kisses. You lips feel puffy and tingle slightly, like your neck. Saizo brings his hand up and brushes your cheek; his touch is more tender than usual. He tucks an errant strand of hair behind your ear.

And then he slams into you in one thrust, burying himself as deep as he can.

You cry out in surprise. The force shoves you into the wall, hard. You squeeze your legs desperately around his waist as he moves, your breath coming in gasps. Scraping your nails against his scalp, you pull on his hair, hard, trying to find purchase somewhere on his lithe body. You teeth meet his shoulder and you bite down; it muffles your voice somewhat -- not a bad thing, really, considering how loudly you had yelled a few minutes ago.

It’s a strange contrast between you two. Saizo’s always been quiet in bed, not counting his teasing and dirty talk -- but he rarely moans or gasps, unlike you. Where you’re direct, though shy, with asking for what you want, Saizo finds it difficult to be honest. He couches things in euphemisms or leads you to the answer. Somehow, though, despite these things, the balance of give and take between you is nearly perfect.

But only nearly. To be honest, you feel like you’re not really pulling your weight this time. Sure, it doesn’t seem like he minds, and it’s not like you have the capacity to do much of anything in your position, but it just doesn’t feel right.

And then a low, halting murmur reaches your ears.

“Stop.. thinking,” Saizo says, with a breathy laugh. “If.. you want to do something for me.. how about you tell me.. how it feels?”

His voice stutters out between breaths, showing the effort of holding you up and thrusting as quickly as he is. It sends a stab of desire and love through you to hear him actually telling you what he wants for once while displaying his odd knack for always knowing your thoughts at the same time.

“It’s.. nn, fuck, it’s.. so good…” you say.

“Really? Is that all?” Saizo says with mock disappointment. At that, he pulls out completely and thrusts back in, making you shout again. Securing one of his arms under your bottom, he rubs your clit with his free hand. “Would we like to.. reevaluate, perhaps?”

Trying to rally your thoughts with the new sensations is just about the most difficult thing you’ve ever done. But you try, wanting to please him.

“You’re.. amazing,” you gasp. “S-Saizo.. you’re.. the only one I want.. f-fuck, right there -- mmn.. It’s.. been a-awful without y--ahn! ..you.. I.. couldn’t stop thinking.. about how you feel.. when we d-do this..”

Your voice ends on a hiss as you momentarily lose the ability to speak. Long, red streaks bloom on Saizo’s pale back where your nails drag, some of them deep enough to threaten tiny drops of blood. A sensation of heat and pressure is growing in your lower abdomen. When you can, you talk more.

“E-even when you piss me off, I still --”

Saizo laughs. “Romantic!”

“Shut up! See, you’re.. doing it again.. even -- nn -- like this,” you manage to say. It’s getting harder to get the words out, and you really want to say this before you can’t. “So.. even like this.. I still.. love you..”

The confession actually catches him off-guard -- making that twice in all the time you’ve ever known him, both caused by you -- and his hand slips slightly, throwing the both of you off balance for a horrifying second. But he rights you quickly again, and gives you a wicked grin.

“That so?” is all he says before locking you in another passionate kiss. He licks your lips with the tip of his tongue, keeping his kisses playful instead of deepening it. You pull him close and arch into him, using all the strength you have left in your legs to keep yourself there, chests pressed together. He digs his hands into your hips; there are definitely going to be ten fingertip-sized bruises there later on.

When his hips start to stutter, you hear Saizo moan for the first time. It’s soft, and almost silent, something you feel more than you hear, but you’re sure of what it is. It warms you like a sun beam; you think that it might be the first time he’s been honest with you about his feelings, even if it wasn’t intentional.

It’s enough to send you over the edge. Moaning into his mouth before breaking away to breathe, you clench around him, digging your nails into his skin, but he keeps touching you through your orgasm, even though you’re sensitive to the point of pain. You crush your lips to his in a desperate kiss, breathing hard out of your nose. In your chest, your heart is beating wildly, and you’re sure he must feel it beating against his through the contact of your chests.

“Saizo…” His name is a ghost on your tongue. Exhausted, you rest in his arms, pressing languid, lazy kisses on his neck and collarbone, still making small noises from his thrusting; it hurts, now, to still be feeling so much sensation, but you don’t want him to stop.

You kiss up his neck and onto his cheek. A tiny wisp of a moan escapes you involuntarily; your lips brush against his ear, and you whisper his name again.

Saizo comes, pushing into you hard. He holds you against the wall despite his shaking legs, thrusting a few more quick times, before he’s spent. Breathing hard, he shoves his face into the crook of your neck. You think you might’ve heard your name, but you aren’t sure.

Then, with you still in his arms, he sinks down onto the floor, his legs no longer able to support the both of you. Hugging you, Saizo speaks to the back of your neck.

“Not bad at all, little lady. But it’s too bad we didn’t have your bandages handy this time, hm?”


End file.
